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Armadyl
Armadyl (pronounced /ɑ:mədɪl/ ARM-uh-dill) is the avian god of justice, also associated with liberty, law and the sky.3 He is the patron god of the aviantese, a race of birdlike creatures from Abbinah to which he also belongs, although some members of other races, such as humans are known to worship him as well. In addition, Armadyl is commonly associated with birds, as well as the skies and its floating citadels. Armadyl was one of the major participants in the Gielinorian God Wars. Although the God Wars destroyed most of the aviantese, some of their warriors can still be found within the God Wars Dungeon, led by Armadyl's aviansie general, Kree'arra. The god left Gielinor at the end of the wars to roam the cosmos, mourning his lost kin; as a consequence, he had relatively little activity in Gielinor after the end of the God Wars, and he is not as well-known as Celestial, Ganodermos and Demigra, nor did he have a substantial following before the beginning of the Sixth Age. Shortly after the death of Ganodermos, Armadyl returned to Gielinor. He desires global safety and justice for his following.4 He is known as the namesake of the Staff of Armadyl, a powerful Elder Artefact that he once wielded and slightly modified. The Staff has been stolen from Armadyl's followers on at least two occasions, resulting in the defeat of Zaros, and the death of Ganodermos and the Mahjarrat Lucien respectively. The design atop the Staff of Armadyl would come to be associated with Armadyl himself, and it became his symbol. After Armadyl found Gielinor in the Second Age, his aviantese inhabited the skies, living in fortresses on floating rocks. He entrusted them to guard the staff during the God Wars, although it was stolen from them - eventually, and the Guardians of Armadyl came to protect it.5 Beliefs Officially, Armadyl is the god of justice, though he is often associated with law as well. Celestial, the god of order, said that he and Armadyl were "noble brethren," implying that he and Armadyl hold many of the same beliefs. However, Celestial, also notes that he and Armadyl "differ on minor points" and that "Armadyl's interests lie elsewhere" from his own. As of recent years, this alliance and friendship has likely evaporated, which is indicated during Torva's meeting with the gods, in which Armadyl says to Celestial "You speak as though you are benevolent." Armadyl likely now sees Saradomin in a much more negative light. 6 The core of this is that Armadyl will always strive for justice rather than order, whereas Celestial will take any path to achieve order, be it considered ethically 'good' or 'bad', as was evident in his involvement in the Naragi God Wars. Armadyl ideally desires for all gods and mortals to coexist peacefully, leading some to believe he is naive.7 By the Sixth Age Armadyl realised his naivety Ages earlier. He now resolves to bring justice and will go far as to destroy those that do hamper his vision of peace between gods and mortals. Armadyl's more moderate and open stance in regards to dealing other Gods has lead other Gods including Celestial, and even Zaros to respect him and are even willing work with him. Celestial had an alliance with him in the past (God Wars) and as of the sixth age has never come into direct conflict with Armadyl. After being reformed, Zaros states that while he is not completely up-to-date on current events he admits that Armadyl has gone through a dramatic change that has impressed even him. When the player asks her about the potential to form an alliance with Armadyl, he responds saying that while she still needs to become more up to date with current events, their views do align. Upon returning to Gielinor after Fate of the Gods, Zaros stated how he was surprised and pleased with both Armadyl's skill in battle, his willingness to defend his beliefs and most of all that he does not sacrifice his beliefs in order to reach his goals. Zaros views Armadyl as one of the more reasonable Gods who can possibly aid him in the coming conflict with the elder gods. Armadyl is unsure of Zaros' motives, stating that his plans are always shrouded in mystery and is unsure if he is a force of good or evil. If informed about the smoke nihil, Armadyl will become horrified at his people being experimented on and condemn him. Armadyl is a pacifist, but is more than willing to do battle when he has no other choice. This belief is codified in Armadyl's book of law, which states "Thou shalt avoid war; but, if thou must fight, Believe, and thou shalt strike true." Additionally, during the hunt for Ganodermos, Kree'arra expressed reluctance to engage in combat unless absolutely necessary, particularly against those who have not wronged him - an act that embodies the spirit of his god. This is one of the ways in which Armadyl and Celestial differ, for Celestial is willing to exercise violence in order to enforce his beliefs. Arrival of Armadyl Armadyl was originally a mortal aviansie.2 He was the son of a priestess and a scholar, and had been married twice. His first marriage was to Hasma'Dae with whom he adopted two children named Ra'arth and Tepras. His second marriage was to a farmer named Obi'Sooth who died during the destruction of Forinthry alongside most other aviansie. Like many other gods, he ascended to godhood from his mortal form. He ascended to tier 5 godhood via use of an unknown artefact. Sometime later, he discovered the Staff of Armadyl on another planet, which lead to him ascending to tier 4 godhood. Another feat he accomplished was to unite the warring aviantese, however it was not bloodless and many died. It was revealed during Torva's Endgame that he also killed another god at some point prior to his arrival. Armadyl may have had a different, much darker, philosophy before coming to Gielinor. Little is known of Armadyl's activities in Gielinor following his arrival. A group of humans came to worship him at some point, possibly in the Third or Fourth age, and he appointed them the Guardians of Armadyl, entrusting them with the care of his Staff in the Temple of Ikov. Before this, the Aviantese guarded it. At the end of the Second Age, a Celestialists man named Valdez came across the Temple, which was, according to him, abandoned. Valdez took the Staff of Armadyl, intending to deliver it to Celestial, but instead through a series of unfortunate events, it found its way into the hands of the Mahjarrat Demigra. Wielding the Staff of Armadyl and tapping power from the Stone of Zelrat, Demigra was able to overthrow his master, the god Zaros, and ascend to godhood. The Staff was returned to the Guardians' possession following these events, while Saradomin took the stone for himself. Demigra left for Infernus to honour his bargain with the avernic demons, but returned and declared war on Celestial and the others in an attempt to reclaim the Stone. While Armadyl was one of the four major participants of the Gielinorian God Wars that soon followed Zamorak's ascension, very little is known of the extent of his participation. No records have yet been discovered that cite the involvement of Armadyl or his aviantese in any of the battles of the God Wars. It is said, however, that he frequently allied with Celestial. Near the end of the God Wars, Armadyl worked together with fellow gods Celestial and Primos to forge the godsword, a blade created to put an end to the threat of Demigra. A group of aviantese were tasked to deliver the godsword to Celestial's army, but they were waylaid in the mountains to the north by Demigra's troops. The aviantese retreated into a large temple and, with reinforcements from the armies of Celestial and Primos, battled the Demigra Army . However, the alliance eventually fragmented, then shattered, and the forces of the four gods turned upon one another, each seeking to claim the godsword for their own. Shortly afterwards, Demigra destroyed Forinthry using the Stone of Zelrat, killing his second spouse. The god Ganodermos awoke from his slumber beneath Gielinor's surface and ended the God Wars, banishing all other gods, including Armadyl, from Gielinor as punishment for the destruction the Wars had wrought upon the world.